Retrieve
cont'd: The best way I can
describe the lure is it picks up in between where the original left off, not
where the lure leaves off, in other words it helps fill the gap between shallow
and deep diving cranks. But wait, isn’t the lure supposed to get all the way
down to 10 feet? Yes, but we were only able to hit the 10+ feet depth on a
steady troll, on most cast and retrieves we found the lure to hover right around
the 7-8 feet depth, we even duplicated this is a swimming pool to be sure. By
driving the lure down with a pull of the rod and a brisk retrieve we were able
to hit 9 feet but only with trolling were we able to sustain 10+ depths
consistently. Trout anglers will find the trolling of this lure excellent for
lake trout due to these attributes, but bass anglers thinking that this lure
will get to the 10-15 feet depth will need to resort to trolling rather than
standard retrieves.

A look at the underside

Another interesting aspect
we found in the lure was a slightly off suspension. While moving the lure looks
perfect but if you employ a more traditional pop, pop, stop jerkbait retrieve we
found the lure doesn’t suspend evenly, and always seems in motion, in fact wait
long enough and it will start to rise. This doesn’t seem to affect performance,
but if you are looking for that lure that comes to a complete dead horizontal
stop you may need to add some stuck on lead strips or discs to balance the lure
out perfectly.

During our tests at Clear Lake we
found deeper structure to put the lure right on top of fish, this proved
especially effective in colder water

The X-Rap Deep proved
effective at Clear Lake and on deeper structure it was the better choice. As
long as you properly calculate the depth the bait will perform, and unlike the
original you will likely be putting this lure closer to harms way. The shape of
the lip and slender design of the profile allows the lure in most cases to
simply bounce off woody structure, but put the lure too close to vegetation and
you might just need to pull out that lure retriever.

A close up of the Perch pattern,
notice the scales beneath the surface

Durability:
When it comes to durability the Rapala X-Rap series shines. Unlike many
competing baits the finish does not easily scratch as it is well protected
beneath the lure’s hard transparent plastic body. While the lure may not look as
realistic the lure does sport a unique finish, one that incorporated more foil
and holographics allowing the lure to not only flash more than some competing
baits, but look new for much longer as well.

The lure seems to float more than
we would normally expect in a suspending lure, want to get it to suspend
perfectly? Add some lead weight strips

The bill on the new X-Rap
series is not as thick as some competing bills, and can be cracked if the lure
is slammed into above water structure on a miss-cast, but for the most part we
didn’t have any problems with the bill under normal fishing conditions. The
hooks on the X-Rap are Pyramid point trebles, and are either No. 6 on the 3 1/8”
size or No. 4 & 5 on the larger 4” lure. Even newer than the X-Rap deep is
another variant which is called the X-Rap Sureset which is designed to operate
at the largest range of depths (from 3-15) and comes in three patterns, which we
think are well suited for stripers, and is armed with a dressed elongated VMC
SureSet hook hung in the back.

A close up look at the gold
pattern, notice the defined lateral line and holographic look of the skin.
because all of this is under plastic the lure is among the most durable over the
long term

Price & Applications:
One reason why the Original Rapala X-Rap was so popular was the fact that it
represented a great deal for anglers. At just 6.99-7.99 depending on size the
X-Rap is priced in parity to most domestic jerkbaits and significantly cheaper
than the popular Japanese jerkbaits. We expected that the X-Rap Deep would
likely command a dollar more, as is common with larger deeper diving lures. To
our surprise the X-Rap Deep can be had for only 7.29.

A bass is unable to resist the
darting bait deep down

The X-Rap deep can be
fished both at moderate and fast snap retrieve rates, and can even be trolled
for maximum depth. The lure can be effective at targeting a wide range of
species, especially those that are prone to reaction strikes. Good species for
this lure include Bass, Pike, Large Trout and even Salmon, Snook, Redfish, and
even Tarpon. If you want to target any bigger species like Musky, Tuna, or Wahoo
then you will want to step up to the X-Rap Magnum series which is designed
primarily for trolling applications.

The tail when wet, if under the water long enough the tail starts to fan out
more evenly

For Rapala fans the X-Rap
Deep is a boon, and is to them what the Pointer 100 DD (Deep Diver) is to Lucky
Craft devotees, an evolution of an already winning formula to simply put….get
where the fish are.

There is no doubt this lure works,
and it fills the gap nicely in between a shallow jerkbait and a deep diving
crankbait, but cannot replace either completely

Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide)

Rapala
(XRD10) X-Rap
Deep Ratings
(?/10)

Construction/Quality

The
X-Rap deep exhibits good overall build quality. The lip isn't that thick but
is strong enough to deflect hits with subsurface structure, just don't
accidentally cast this lure into rocks. The pattern under plastic design
makes the lure more durable but reduces realism a bit.

6

Performance

Overall performance of this lure was good, and actually at times bordering
on great. This lure gets right in the faces of deeper holding fish.

7.8

Price

For
just a little more than the original the X-Rap Deep is a excellent deal, one
that is able to compete with some premium lures without the heavy
investment.

9

Features

The
X-Rap Deep exhibits all the basic features that made the original so
popular. The main difference between the two is simply the addition of the
deep diving lip.

7

Design
(Ergonomics)

The
lure is a good caster and in terms of retrieves it is easy to control the
cadence of the lure, though not quite as easy as the original to bring the
erratic motion to life. We did have some difficulty driving the lure all the
ay down to 10 feet, and required trolling to do so

6

Application

This bait can be used on a wide range of species. We love this lure for
stripers where the erratic action drives fish into a frenzy. If you are
looking for a traditional jerkbait then this isn't it, but if you are
willing to spend the time to master the side to side action then the lure
can be fished effectively in both shallow and deeper water than the original

Conclusion:
At Clear Lake we fished both the original and new deep lures side by side and
when fishing over deeper structure in cold water it was no contest, the X-Rap
Deep more effectively enticed fish by getting right in there faces rather than
forcing them to have to venture far from their cover. If you have fished the
original there is absolutely no learning curve to effectively fish the new
deeper version. While the lure may not exhibit as radical a motion as the
original it is able to get further down than and into deeper holding fish. One
lure cannot replace the other, nor can the X-Rap deep replace a deep diving
crankbait, but fished properly the new deeper version can successfully fill the
void between the two types of lures. The X-Rap series of lures continues to
expand and with good reason, Rapala has a winner with the basic design, and the
new X-Rap Deep provides anglers yet another tool to effectively target fish in a
wider range of situations.